Landing and launching apparatus for aircraft



J. H. BRODIE 2,435,197

LANDING AND LAUNCHING APPARATUS FOR AIRCRAFT Feb. 3, 1948.

Filed Ot. 4, 1944 10 sh ets-Sheet 1 Avv /V'rok JANE-S H.5ROD/E 10 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 4, 1944 W N Wm Q Mex I 5 H A /J a "n f, 3 J m T Feb. 3, 1948. J. H. BRODIE LANDING AND LAUNCHING APPARATU 5 FOR AIRCRAFT 1O Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 4, 1944 Feb. 3, 1948. J. H. BRODIE 2,435,197

LANDING AND LAUNCHING APPARATUS FOR AIRCRAFT Filed 001;. 4, 1944 I 10 Sheets-Sheet 4 /6/ I 6v ve/vak JAMES hCB/Pao/E Feb. 3, 1948. J. H. BRQDIE 2,435,197

LANDING AND LAUNGHING APPARATUS FOR AIRCRAFT v Filed Oct. 4, 1944 10 Sheets-Sheet 5 L/4/7ES /7". 5900/5 y 5214a M v r I roe/wen I V Feb. 3,1948. J. H. BRODIE' 1 LANDING AND LAUNCHING APPARATUS FORAI'RCRAFT Filed Oct. 4, 1944 10 Sheets-Sheet 6 F ch. 3, 1948.

4. H. BRODIE 2,435,197

I LANDING AND LAUNCHING APPARATUS FOR AIRCRAFT FiledOct'. 4, 1944 10 Sheets-Sheet 7 //v l/EN TOE ,L-H. BRODIE LANDING AND LAUNCHING APPARATUS FOR AIRCRAFT Filed Oct. 4, 1944 10 Sheets-Sheet 8 Feb. 3, 1948,

J. H. BRODIE 435,19?

LANDING AND LAUNCHING APPARATUS FOR AIRCRAFT Filed Oct. 4, 1944 10 shets sheet 9 LMMS MBJQ OQ/E 10 Sheets-Sheet. 1o

H BRQDIE Feb. 3, 1948.

LANDING AND LAUNCHING APPARATUS FOR AIRCRAFT Filed Oct. 4, 1944 '4 ORA/E):

L/4MES {7.5Q 0/5 5 CA Patented Feb. 3, 1948 LANDING A'NoLAUNcmNG APPARATUS "FOR? AIRCRAFT I Janies HLfirodie, New Orleans, La. Amundsen-neither 4, 1944, Serial No. 557,211 *so ellsiins. (01244- 110) 'iGranted ju nder lftlie actof MarchI3,"1883 as amended April" 30, 1928; "370 0. G. 757) The invention describedgherein ma jbejriiafiu facture'd and used by, or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to means for landingand. .launchi ng airplanes under. conditions suchthat .the usual runway or itsequ-ivalent can not be provided. I 7 v It has been proposed heretoforeto land and/or launch airplanes .from. elevated supports such as tracks orcables from whichthe airplane issusrpended dur n i slandin or take on. run, butas ar as I am awa iehnone of such .previou prm posals has. ever been put-to practical, use. in .many casesthis has been dueto failure, in design.

ins .such ,apparatus. to take into account .the

practical conditions under which the apparatus The apparatus can b installed on shipboard, or i set up inany kindof tenrain where the construction of a runwaybrlanding strip i notjfeasible. It can be made .portable and set 1113101 knocked down .and moved to a new location in a. corn- -paratively short t.i 1;';1e. ,It can be transported by airplane and gropped by parachutein otherwise inaccessible;.lpcations. No source of power-is ..requiredtoaccelerate the airplane fortakeoif, .as .in some known launching devices. For military use, it hasthe additional advantages thatit. is .difiicult tosee from above..5.00 ieet is easily. cam- .ouiiaged, and is structurally a diflicultbombing tar t. T these end appara s. embodyin the .invention. comprises many. novel features as. set forthin detailhereinafter and as defined in the appended claims. p

. Twoembodiments. of.-.t.he. invention are illustrated in the. accompanyingdrawings, but :it is .to .be expressly understoodihat these drawing are .forpurposespf illustrationpnly andare not .to be construed as a definition vof.the.limits of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims f or this purpose.

the'd aw n s:

Figs. 1 and 12 arerespectively perspective and 55 side views of a portable apparatus embodying the invention; h

Fig. .3 is a detail. plan. View and view of part of the apparatus;

Fig. is .a sectional. detail of part of the structure shown. in Figs. 3 and 4; I

.Fig.- 6 is a section on theline 66 of Fi .4; Fig. 7 shows the arrangement of the supporting masts for the runway cable, Figs. 8 .and 9 being respectively a plan view and a side view of the top of one of the masts;

Fig. 10 is a detail of the connections between the runway cable and the supporting cables;

Figs. 11 and 12 areperspective views illustrat- Fig. 4 a side ing successive conditions in the landing operation;

Fig. 13 is a detail :of the landing trolley;

Fig. 14 is a section on the line |4--l4 of Fig. 13;

Fig. 15 is a detail of a hook on the airplane showing its operation in landing the plane;

Fig. 16 shows the landingsling;

Fig. 17 shows .a spreader frame. for the landing sling, and Fig. 18 is a section .on the line Iii-48 of Fig. 17; w

Figs. 19 and .20 are details of parts of the spreader frame and Fig. 21 is a section on the line 2 l-Zl of Fig. .20;

Fig. 22 illustrates the mounting of the hook on thep1ane;- I

Fig. 23 is a section on the line 23-23 of Fig. 22;

Figs. 24, 25 and 26 are details showing the operation and use of the hooking for take 011.;

Figs. 27 and 28 are perspective views of the launching trolley; v

Figs. 29 and 30 are details illustrating the operation and use of the launching trolley; A

Fig. 31 is a section onthe line 31-3! of Fig. 29;

"Fig. .32is a detailoflpart of the mechanism of the launchingtrollem Fig. 33 showsthe'operation of lifting a planeto the runwaycable, and Fig. 34 shows the plane as the take ofi 'riin' begins; g

Fig; 35 shows a, release mechanism 'for hol'ding the'plane prio'rto the start of the take 011 run;

Fig. '36 is a detail of a slider on the runway cable, and Fig. 37 is a'section on the line 31 3! of Fig. 36;

Fig. 38 is a'detail of a cushioning device on the runway cable, and Fig. 39 is a section on the line of Fig. 42;

lowering or lifting the airplane.

Fig. 46 illustrates a detail of the launching trolley as adapted for shipboard use; and

Figs. 47 and 48 show a modification of the shipboard installation of Figs. 42-45.

Figs. 1-41 of the above drawings show an embodiment of the invention designed especially as a portable installation which can easily be transported, as for instance, carried by and dropped from an airplane, to remote spots inaccessible by ordinary means of transportation and there set up and operated quickly and easily by a few men. The apparatus thus comprises an elevated runway cable which is suspended above the ground by four portable masts assembled from sections in known manner, To permit an airplane to approach or leave the apparatus in line with the runway cable, each end of the cable terminates in a three-way connection with two guys which spread out in the form of a Y over the tops of two masts, the latter being far enough apart to permit the airplane to fly between them.

The above arrangement is shown as a whole in Figs. 1 and 2. The runway cable I is fitted at each end with a socket 2 and pin 3 (Fig. 10) by which it is attached to one corner of a substantially triangular connecting heart plate 4. Guy wires, ropes or cables are connected to the other two corners of the plates 4 by means of shackles or sockets B and spread out therefrom in the form of a Y over the tops of masts 1, their other ends being suitably anchored in the ground at 8. The masts are suitably guyed as at 9.

Suitable means are provided for running the guys 5 over the tops of the masts. For example, the top of each mast may be provided with a cap (Figs. 8 and 9) made in two parts clamped around the mast by bolts l l and held in place by a through bolt l2. Each half of the cap carries a vertical bracket 13, which may suitably comprise a short length of angle iron welded thereto, and these brackets are preferably connected at the top of a U-shaped retaining strap M for the guy 5 which runs over a pulley l5 mounted between said brackets.

Thus when the masts l are set up and the guys 5 are tightened, the runway cable I is suspended in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but the masts are spaced on either side of the line of flight of an airplane approaching or leaving the runway cable at either end thereof, and there is no obstruction in the path of the plane. 1

The connecting plates 4 at the ends of the runway cable also serve as supports for means for lowering an airplane to the ground after it has landed or for lifting an airplane into launching or take-off position. As best seen in Figs. 3 and 4, a block I6 is carried at the end of a suitable supporting framework, being located above and at one side of the runway cable. A rope l1, hereinafter referred to as the plane lift rope, runs through the block l6 and asecond block IS, the end of this rope being secured to the block H5 at IS. The block l8 carries a hook 29 which is adapted to be used as hereinafter described for The plane lift rope I! is preferably operated from the ground and to this end it may be run under a pulley 2i mounted in a bracket 22 secured to the connecting plate 4 and then through one ormore fairleads 23 (Figs. 4 and 40) along one of the guys 5 to the top of its mast I. Here it runs over a pulley 24 (Fig. 9) which is shackled at 25 to a bracket 26 secured to one of the supporting angles [3, and thence to the ground. A small Winch 21 rounded near the connecting plate 4 with a twopart sleeve 33 clamped in place by bolts 34 (Figs. 3 and 6). The upper half of this sleeve, near its end remote from the connecting plate, is formed with an upstanding lug or ear 35, the ends of the struts 32 straddling the lugs 35 and being pinned or bolted thereto at 36. For greater strength and rigidity, braces 31 extend one from each of the lugs 35 to a lug 38 which forms part of the connecting plate structure as described below.

The hook 20 must be attached to or detached from the airplane by hand as described hereinafter and the connecting plate structure is accordingly adapted also to carry means for lifting a man for these purposes. As shown in Fig. 5, the connecting plate structure includes a hollow vertical column or socket 39 (to which the lugs SI and 38 described above are attached), this socket carrying a swinging davit '40 supported on a pin or bolt 4! and the davit having a locking handle 42 which can be used to lock it against turning in the socket. A suitable support such as a bosuns chair 43 is carried by what is hereinafter termed the man lift rope 44 which is preferably operated from the ground. As shown, this rope runs through davit blocks 45 and thence through a vertical fairlead 46 and under a pulley 41 mounted in a bracket 48 extending from the connecting plate 4. From pulley 41 the man lift rope follows the guy 5 together with the plane lift rope l1, running through the fairleads 23 (Fig. 40), over pulley 24 at the top of the mast l, and thence to the ground and preferably to the winch 21.

It will be understood that the connecting plate structure, the supporting frame and plane lift rope, and the swinging davit and man lift rope are preferably duplicated at the two ends of the supporting cable, so that the airplane can land or take off from either end of the apparatus.

Fig. 1 shows at its lefthand side an airplane 49 approaching the apparatus and about to land thereon. This airplane is provided with a hook device (described in detail hereinafter) which is adapted to engage a sling carried by a trolley running on the cable I, these parts being specially designed to cushion the initial shock of the engagement of the airplane with the sling and acceleration of the trolley along the cable.

The preferred construction of the landing trolley is shown in Figs. 13 and 14. It comprises spaced parallel side plates 50 carrying a grooved roller 5i between them which rides on the cable I, the plates being bolted together at the bottom through an interposed spacer block 52. In preparation for landing, this trolley is positioned at the end of the supporting cable that is to be approached by the airplane and normally hangs in the position shown in Fig, 13. The lower part of the trolley is shaped somewhat like a boot, with the toe of the boot extending in the direction in which the trolley moves on the cable when the plane lands. The toe carries a pivoted bracket 53 to which is attached a shackle 54 A r nanirijthefbo'slu engag the hook 211 Wlithithl he larj lifltj'op'e'll'l ieused tqliftt plane a a 1 takeits; weight off the s'lifigl The; connecting membei' I2 is thenelack so thatthj sl qolgle 51 039 be disconnected from the tfolly nd the laee h qwz dtq j r nd- Theudeta i ls, orv thehook installationbn th air-V Plan-ears: laq nins, nd 2 heh dh compri ses a p ate 9 Wh ic h, for1anding,.purpbse$ l i-S shaped to plovide a, jg.yvjmember 94 and arela 3 tmely mom o m jemhmugh which the S11 M68 Fi 5. 2% intoefijeczess fik fi f 1 rbaz s il sling m. q ide ta l Thehookplate fizis'sha kld;

Thetilandip eslin i, eel F g. vl sg ge eeablyj made .Of nylon-raven:pt v de botlx he e sgxy stlqength topazgry. the airplane and ela sti ci ,e n agemet ta tot-,cushionrinitialtsh gkt A moving airp ane; t; omn heee a: plura r t 9-; loops 6 8 gathered together at the toii at 6 v ecured o n. Lav 1 il-Whi h 2 Eli-H 3 the-wi ina ein t yogv romu hee ro lembwa conn V- a en a ih th ,ring-l and the nfi io ra it A sthe. W 4 ag'd, swinging the sling 68;. e toe of;the m qmgtrone 50fforwerdly' atple$ 99,031; jswing rerwai'dly' 4 large, the" pull being exerted. through the sling arid the.

w ii'fd iiiiweiiili fi iis h -ai p n to Ihi mizg what might Otherwise move a severe foi'o'e v Th .x.1 1 po x i 1@0 1v 90 th. st bslldab y angu et mblv; s ppr-tede ni 4.t at e -.clamped ona ubelh-the1mm? we? oandv4kh in atxried b g a b e s t -tw lqgfii dultngrylqndmgw-i outhel i igg iam strut. 3.9,, (FQg -Q B;@9S=; f-he ?v nd ye a o m l h d, by a movable 15 which extend tot/he .t11he, 7 5; .fi9n 1 tha hook u lnertwhw n mt yma nta k sling: Theezid' ot rgdffigiit r 5,5 ew qrs e jweyi i i i 'dq d n rad 9.) h ow r. ends f. W

rods: 18!, The. hinge. J'qinte p 13ab1 a re ea q l thfirk flqVe l -tf he o sl poxtf r noble of. hep ifi; ode direction 54115 a ridk gs i i nt y msi fl 9; y$ n9uh n fi t l" homiiir'i s. 1g ahd zfl, meyogi ienierifl om; cce eratio ead qeuwfl by n a m nt 2? h 111. .nsimi arfli ates 11s,. l a .r me 60.. z ee ow t thetsli qa en n t i w In the 15.11; amw. and" mq ze h wen u t bl trut an 7 b a e B Fi he. oiwhexethe Hea ier ;end v are; ome a 1.91, h W -Q I by pivot pins 80, the edges'ofthese plates jmg 193." A" s'eebndltu mi mgr-flew! (E g:. 92. to.mtsye -tj lin m see i the. hook plteffltel odbs witbin ending,ilmpe g. lim e e 3 ,a W

sn res hook plate 93. The tension o'f the cord I can be adjusted by means of a turnbuckle I09.

For launching purposes as described hereinafter, two side plates H6 are carried by the hook plate 93 and a pelican hook III is pivoted between them at H2. The tail of the pelican hook can be'locked in the position shown in Fig. 24 by means of a roller H3 mounted between the two arms of a latch lever H4 that is pivoted on the hook plate at H5, the lever being held in position by a spring H6 connected between its end and a toe III on the hook plate. As shown in Fig. 24, the tail of the pelican hook extends between the Side plates I I0 and between thearms of the latch lever H4 behind the roller II3, the tail of the latch lever being located underneath the side plates so as to be protected thereby against accidental release of'the pelican hook. The side plates are shaped to provide a notch H8 closed by the hook III to retain therein one end of a U-shaped stirrup H9 (Fig. 25) whereby the airplane can be lifted to launching position as hereinafter described. A trip lanyard I26 attached to the tail of the latch lever can be operated by the pilot to release the pelican hook I II for the airplane to take off as soon as it becomes airborne under its own power, as shown in Fig. 26.

For launching, the airplane is suspended from a launching trolley running on the runway cable I (see Fig. 34). Means are provided for holding the launching trolley at the end of the cable while the motor of the plane is revved up and then releasing the trolley so that the plane can run down the cable, pulling the trolley with it until the pelican hook is tripped as described above.

The details of a suitable form of launching" trolley are shown in Figs. 27-32. The trolley comprises a frame consisting of spaced side plates I2I between which are mounted two grooved rollers I22 running on the cable I. As shown in Fig. 31, the rollers I22 are preferably mounted on pins I23 by suitable bearings, here shown as ball bearings l24, which provide free running action. Beneath the cable 1 the side plates are connected through a spacer block I25,,and the weight distribution of the parts is such that as soon as the weight of the suspended airplane is released, the launching trolley inverts-itself from the position shown in Fig. 27 to that shown in Fig. 28 wherein the spacer block I25 rides on the runway cable and acts as a brake to slow down the trolley. The trolley may be suitably constructed for removal from the runway cable so that it can be replaced if necessary or reversed for launching in either direction on the cable. In the form shown, one side of the trolley comprises a door I26 mounted by hinges I21 on the side plate I2 I. For locking the door in closed position, grooved lugs I28 on the door fit over ribs I29 on the side plate when the door is closed, and the door is locked in place by latches I30.

The airplane is suspended from the launching trolley by means of a sling comprising the stirrup link H9 mentioned above, two short connecting members l3I joined by an interposed ring I32 (Fig.33), and a stirrup link i33. The airplane is lifted from the ground by means of the hook 23 and plane lift rope H, the hook being engaged in the ring I32 so that the upper connecting member HM and stirrup I33 are slack. A man in the bosuns chair 43 then engages the stirrup I33 over a curved latch I34 pivoted on a pin I35 at the bottom of the launching trolley. The latch I34 is then closed to th position shown in Fig.

29, m which notches I36 in the latch are engagedby a keeper I31 slidable in slots I38 formed in the side plates I2I and urged toward locked position by tension springs I39. The airplane is then lowered until it is supported by the sling, after which the hook 20 is disengaged.

In case the pilot fails to operate the trip lanyard I26 in time, it is desirable to provide means for tripping the latch I34 automatically at the end of the run of the trolley along the runway cable, the airplane being thus released although carrying away with it the sling II9-I3II33. To this end the keeper I3! is connected with a plunger I40 which extends slidably out the end of the trolley and is driven in at the end of the run of the trolley to move the keeper I31 and release the latch I34 as shown in Fig. 30. As shown, the plunger slides through the spacer block I25 and through a casing I4I mounted on the end of the spacer block. An outer telescoping casing 142 slides on the end of the casing I4I by means of slots I43 and studs I44, a rubber block I45 or the like being interposed between the ends of the two casings to absorb shocks.

The trolley lZI acquires considerable momen tum as it travels down the runway cable, and even though the pilot operates the trip rope properly, the brakin eflect of the spacer block I25 may not be enoughto stop the trolley before the plunger I46 is operated to release the sling H6-- i3I-I33. To prevent the sling falling to the ground in such a case, the stirrup I33 may be tied to the trolley by a light line I46. In case the pilotfails to operate lanyard I26, this retaining line I46 will be easily broken so that the sling is carried away with the plane as described above.

For launching, the landing frame 'I'I-I8 is swung rearwardly and upwardly out of the way and tied or otherwise secured to the braces I6 as indicated at I41 (Fig. 34), and as stated above the launching trolley with the plane suspended therefrom above is held at the end of the runway cable by suitable means until the proper time and then released. The holding means which prevents premature travel of the. launching trolley may have any suitable form and may be incorporated in the launching trolley as described hereinafter, or separate therefrom and connected to the plane itself as shown in Fig. 35. In the latter case, a link I48 is attached to a fitting near the tail of the airplane and is engaged by a trip mechanism anchored to the ground by the rope I49. The trip mechanism comprises a bar l5ll at one end of which the rope I49 is attached and at the other end of which is a pivoted latch I5I held in place by a lever I52 pivoted on the bar intermediate its ends. A spring I53 retains the lever in the position shown in Fig. 35 until it is tripped from the ground by lanyard I54, thereby releasing the plane which moves off down the runway cable. The trip mechanism ground.

For returning the launching trolley to starting position, it is desirable to provide a slider on the runway cable, and since this slider will then receive the impact of the plunger I40 of the launching trolley at the end of its run, the slider should beof fairly rugged construction and backed up by a resilient cushion, Figs. 36-39 illustrate suitable-formsof such devices. As shown in Figs, 36 and 37, the slider comprises a conical shell I55 made in two halves bolted together and provided with flanged ends to which are secured end plates I56 also'made in two halves so that the slider .then falls to the "e se-.197

can be assembled on the cable. -Heldbetween'the two end-plates I56-is a two-part sleeve -l'lwhich bears directly on-the cable. For greater strength against end shocks-interengaging toothed plates I58 are secured as by welding'to'the two'partsof the sleeve. The slider can beoperated fromthe ground by means of a slider rope I 59. --W=hen not in-use, the end of theslider'rope canbe tied to the "end of apull-up rope I66 -(Fig;40) which runs through the -fairleads 23 along one of the guys 5 and thus hoisted out of the way.

'Fig. 38 shows two sliders I55 and an interposed cushioning-device, this arrangement being adapted for use ateither end of the cable in exactly the same manner. The cushion device comprises acoil-springl 6i surrounding the cable and seated at its ends in seats IBZ-slidableouthe cable. -As shown-in 'Figs. 38 and 39, these seatsare-"made in two halves, "with 'interengaging teeth 'along their meeting axial edges. The two halves are connected together by bolts I63 which pass through the coils of the spring and thus anchor it to its seats.

Figs. 42-45 illustrate the use of the invention on board ship. Here the runway cable I 65is rigged outboard of the ship by means of booms I66- mounted to-swing on masts "I61. As the direction ofthe ship may bereversed,itis not necessaryto provide for-operationin both directions along the cable. In the form shown the direction or movement of'the' plane is forward relative to the ship and this will usually be desirable with the 'shipheaded into the wind.

The forward mast I6? is braced by "spars I68 and-by a" guy mast to a suitable-fitting on deck, 'and the'end of the boom-'is-supportedby a topping "lift Ill). The after mast I6! is'similarly braced by spars I II and by a guy I12 running from the top of the masts tothe deck, and the-endof the boom is supported by a topping lift I13. .As illustrated by Fig. 43, theinner -endsofboth booms may be pivoted as at I'M-to brackets I"I5 that are rotatably mountedon'the masts by means of-collars or swivels I 76.

'Insuch-an-installation'the runway cable I65 is preferably er sucl'rlength as 'to' be" stretched between the ends-'01 booms "I66- when they are swungoutboardas showny-Figsr l and'45 illustrate a-suitable fitting "for the "ends "of the booms comprising vertically spacedplates I11 and a-vertical-pivot'pinI l8. The runway cable is connected to-the end oftheforward boom I66 by links and/or' sockets H9 pivoted 0n the' pin I18,andsimilarmeans-IBU connect the end of theboom to aca-bleorrope I8I which runs forward diagonallyinboardto amast or frame I82 in thebow of the ships A similar arrangementat the: end of the afterboom comprises a cable-"or rope I83 runningto a mastor frame I84 near the stern ofthe ship. It .will be seen that if the cables I8I and I83 are taut; the supporting cable I65 will be properly suspended .between :the booms.

For landing, the installation comprises a frame I 85 and sling I86similar to those described. above, the sling being suspended from a landing trolley (not shown) like the trolley 59. The brakecable I81 leads from this trolley through fairleadsl88 along the bottom of the after boom. and .then down the boom to 'abrake device I895. At the forward end of the'supportin cable is a slider I 90 andcus-hion device I 9| like thosedescribed above.

In this type- 0finstallation the supporting framework for the plane lifting mechanism is 1 69 running from the top of "the seated. i at: -2 6 I., recess-on. a pins-2.0.3; The Ilatch is: normally held :inj'the closed positionrshown in"Figs: 29:and-;4'6iby :2t6;heldr.in engagement;

conveniently replaced-by a #booin F mounted P95 and'the plane lift-rope 199 runs-under *t-he-boom 'to' the mast and down to a=winch-206 on*the'deck.

*I-n' preparation for landing; -boom I-95- is-swung out 'and a -m-angoes out the boom and adjusts the landing trolley and sling. Theboom 'is -then swung-outofthe way as the planelands;;-and -then -back-out againsothatladder I97 can be used ior attaching thehook-I98'and-releasing-thesling.

The-boom is then swung inboard and the plane lowered to the deck.

"Launchingis-carried 'out in a--similar and obvious manner. HOWeVerjlbis not desirable-t0 -use trip mech anismof the type illustrate'd in Fig: 35 since it would-fall in the water when the trolley -.is released. corporatedin the trolley itself i employed-and a suitable form -of such mechanism is illustrated "for convnience=-in Figsg 29530 a-ndAG. lt-will-be Hence a trip mechanism inunderstood that this trip mechanism can also/be used. inland: installations in place of that shown in Fig'. 35, if desired.

Referring to these "figures, the-spacer block-425 is recessed at-the i'ear end of l the trolley 1 as indi- .and a latch W22 -=is-.pivoted-.-in the a :retaining member 20 la-pivoted :in "the recess on a: pin l 2-05,."said retainingfmember having an arm With. arpin: 201-by 351101- sion spring 68.15 The llatch 2262+holds, ag slink $2109 wherebyzrthe trolley. is; :held -.:against forward movement until; thelatchisztripped by a lanyard .24 0

connected :to the arm r266. yilhexlatcn then releasing the link zflflzand freeing thatrolleyior its launching run. (down: theuzsupporting :cable. .as described above.

Figs=47-1and=48 illustrate a;mQd' ,fiQat;ion;of the shipboard.installation-which. ;makes: itgunnecesryt Qlro id air-cus ion:sprin son rtherunw cable. The cablelll is suppor led between booms .2 I 2. swinging on e masts 2 I 3. ,as described .abQVe. .The. slider 2 I 4. onthe; runway cable, is. anchored by an elastic ropeaor. cable 2 I5, preferably of nylon, which. extends laterally from; the runway cable,- the sliderbeingnormally at apoint spaced fr0m.l he..end of the-cable. Inpthe form;sh own, thisv is conveniently. accomplished byrigging; the boom 2 I 2.. at an .anglelof; 45 :and connecting.-;the rope .2 I 5 toethe. mast. 213. When thew-launching tro1ley,strikes .;the sliderandmoves itedown the .cable, the ropelz I 5 .stretchesproviding the result of a resilientabutment. It. will-,bep understood that a similar arrangement can used .ior land installation if, desired.

While several embodimentsof the invention have beenillustrated and described in detail it is to be understood that. the invention is notzlimited thereto. as variouschangesin the form, detailsgof construction and, arrangement. of. the-. arts:wil1 now suggest themselves to those. skilled inthe art without departing. from the spirit. of the .invention." Reference should, therefore :be ,hadet theappended claims for .a definition of .the;lin1its of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus of theclass described comprising an elevated runway cable. a pair of guys connected toand supporting at least one end of said cable, a three-way connecting member by which said cable and guys are connected with the guys diverging from each other, a pair of masts spaced on either side of the projected line of said cable and carrying guide sheaves for said diverging guys whereby said masts can be erected and said guys thereafter tightened from the ground to support the end of the cable in elevated position without obstructing the flight path of an airplane approaching or leaving the cable, means movable along said cable for suspending an airplane therefrom, means mounted on said connecting member for moving an airplane vertically between said suspending means and the ground, and means supported by the cable and guys for lifting a man to said suspending means,

2. Apparatus of the class described comprising an elevated runway cable, a pair of diverging supporting cables for at least one of the ends of said runway cable, a three-Way connecting structure for the ends of the runway and supporting cables, trolley means movable along the runway cable and adapted to suspend an airplane, airplane lifting means carried by said structure and including a line moving to and operable from the ground, and means carried by said structure and including a line running to and operable from the ground for lifting a man to the point of connection of the airplane with said trolley means.

3. Apparatus of the class described comprising an elevated runway cable, a pair of diverging supporting cables for at least one of the ends of said runway cable, a three-way connecting structure for the ends of the runway and supporting cables, trolley means movable along the runway cable and adapted to suspend an airplane, a frame supported at spaced points on said structure and guys, a block and tackle carried by said frame and operable from the ground for lifting an airplane, and means supported by said cables for lifting a man to the point of connection of the airplane with said trolley means.

4. Apparatus of the class described comprising an elevated runway cable, a pair of divergin supporting cables for at least one of the ends of said runway cable, a three-way connecting structure for the ends of the runway and supporting cables, trolley means movable along the runway cable and adapted to suspend an airplane, a frame supported at spaced points on said structure and guys, a block and tackle carried by said frame and operable from the ground for lifting an airplane, and a davit mounted on said structure for lifting a man to the point of connection of the airplane with said trolley means.

5. Apparatus of the class described comprising an elevated runway cable, a pair of diverging supporting cables for at least one of the ends of said runway cable, a three-way connecting structure for the ends of the runway and supporting cables, trolley means movable along the runway cable and adapted to suspend an airplane, sleeves on said guys adjacent the connecting structure, a frame comprising struts mounted on said structure and on said sleeves, a block and tackle carried by said frame and operable from the ground for lifting an airplane, and means carried by said structure for lifting a man to the point of connection of the airplane with said trolley means.

6. Apparatus of the class described comprising an elevated runway cable, trolley means movable along said cable, a sling carried by said trolley means and adapted to be engaged by and to sus pend an airplane, said sling comprising a flexible collapsible loop, and a stationary spreader frame depending from the end of the cable and provided with mean-s for releasably holding said sling with the loop spread for engagement by an approaching airplane.

7. Apparatus of the class described comprising an elevated runway cable, trolley means movable along said cable, a sling carried by said trolley means and adapted to be engaged by and to suspend an airplane, said sling comprising a collapsible loop of flexible elastic material, and a stationary spreader frame depending from the end of the cable and provided with means for releasably holding said sling with the loop spread for engagement by an approaching airplane.

'8. Apparatus of the class described comprising an elevated runway cable, trolley means movable along said cable, a flexible rope sling carried by said trolley means and adapted to be engaged by and to suspend an airplane, said sling comprising a plurality of lengths of rope depending from the trolley means with their lower ends connected and capable of being spread into a plurality of side-by-side loops, and spreader means at the end of the cable for releasably holding the sling in spread formation until engaged by an airplane.

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 8, said sling being made of elastic rope.

10. Apparatus as defined in claim 8, said sling being made of nylon rope.

11. A sling adapted to be engaged by and to suspend an airplane from an elevated runway, said sling comprising a plurality of lengths of flexible, elastic rope, a supporting means to which said lengths are connected at one end, adjacent lengths being connected together at their other ends to provide a plurality of loops varying in size so that the bottom part of the sling can be spread into substantially rectangular formation with the loops side-byside and the bottoms of the loops substantially horizontal.

12. Apparatus of the class described comprising an elevated runway cable, trolley means movable along said cable, a sling carried by said trolley means and adapted to be engaged by and to suspend an airplane, said sling comprising a flexible collapsible loop, a stationary spreader frame depending from the end of the cable and provided with means for releasably holding said sling with the loop spread for engagement by an approaching airplane, and. means for braking the travel of said trolley means down said cable.

13. Apparatus of the class described comprising an elevated runway cable, trolley means movable along said cable, a sling carried by said trolley means and adapted to be engaged by and to suspend an airplane, said sling comprising a flexible p, means at the end of the cable for releasably holding said sling with the loop spread for engagement by an approaching airplane, a brake line attached to said trolley means, and a brake drum to which said brake line extends'for braking the travel of said trolley means down said cable.

14. Apparatus of the class described comprising an elevated runway cable, trolley means movable along said cable, a sling carried by said trolley means and adapted to be engaged by and to suspend an airplane, said sling comprising a flexible collapsible loop, a stationary spreader frame at the end of the cable, a plurality of rope tails secured to the loop, means for releasably attaching said tails to the frame to hold the sling in spread at n wi h t i jbotto 1: subst tially' horizontal until engaged by an airplane.

15. Apparatus oi the class described comprising an elevated runway cable, trolley means movable along said cable, a, 1gcarriedbysaid trolley mea n l d to b e a e b 'an i .15- pend an airplane, said sling comprisinga flexible collapsible loop, a s ationary: Spreader iranieat the end of the cable, means for-releasably ing the sling to the frame at a'plu 'lity A to hold the sling in spread formation N h he bottom. of the loop substantially horizontaliintil engaged by an airplane, said frame being hinged to swing forwardly and upwardly as the sling is pulled away by engagement of an airplane therewith.

16. Apparatus of the class des'cri bedoomprisiiig an elevated runway cable, trolley means movable along said cable, "and "an a rplane "supporting device'suspended from said u I adaptedto be engaged by'an approaching fairplane', said trolley means comprising a supporting roller running on said cable and carrying a depending "pendulum-like structure, said' structure w i l g forwardly and upwardly relative to th F cable about the axis of the roller as the trolley means is pulled away from its starting point by engagement of the airplane with said device, and said device being suspended from said structure.

17. Apparatus of the class described comprising an elevated runway cable, trolley means mlovable along said cable, and 'an airplane supporting device suspended from said'tr'olley meansand adapted to be engaged by an approaching airplane, said trolley means comprising a supporting roller running on said cable and a depending pendulum-like extension from which said device is suspended, said extension swinging forwardly and upwardly relative to the cable as the trolley means is pulled away from its starting point by engagement of the airplane with said device, said extension having a roller normally spaced from the cable but adapted to swing into engagement with its under side.

18. In apparatus of the class described, a landing trolley adapted to run on an elevated runway, said trolley comprising spaced side plates, a roller mounted between the side plates and adapted to run on top of the cable, the side plates below the roller being connected together to form a swinging pendulum-like extension, and a second roller mounted between the side plates and adapted on swinging said extension to move into engagement with the under side of the cable.

19. Apparatus of the class described comprising an elevated runway cable, a launching trolley running on said cable, and means for suspending an airplane from said trolley for its takeoff run, said trolley comprising roller means running on top of the cable and structure beneath the cable including a braking surface next to but spaced from the cable and the airplane being suspended from said structure, the weight of the trolley above the cable being greater than its weight below the cable whereby, when the airplane takes off, said trolley inverts itself to bring said braking surface into engagement with the top of the cable and to brake further movement of said trolley along the cable.

20. Apparatus of the class described comprising an elevated runway cable, a launching trolley running on the cable, a suspension means attached to the trolley and adapted to be releasably engaged with an airplane to suspend it from the trolley during its takeoii run, a trip mechtrolley means and e trav of .jt fl roily, a

carriedf'by the trolley and fore and aft; di eralj movement; and means yiy in ly re i tin s id .r' iv m vem t- 2'2. "In apparatustefit e, s gdesc ib a ia-iri aneiand y "of said sup 24. In apparatus of the class described, means on an airplane adapted to engage an elevated trolley and to suspend the airplane therefrom comprising a hook, flexible airplane supporting means extending from said hook to said airplane, an extensible universally swiveling hook support mounted on the airplane and yielding means resisting movement of said support from normal position.

25. In apparatus of the class described, means on an airplane adapted to engage an elevated trolley and to suspend the airplane therefrom comprising a hook, flexible airplane supporting cables extending from said hook to said airplane, a telescoping hook support universally pivoted on the airplane, and yielding means resisting extension of said telescoping support.

26. Apparatus of the class described comprising an elevated runway cable, trolley means running on the cable, means for suspending an airplane from said trolley means including a flexible suspension member adapted to be releasably connected at its upper end to said trolley means and having a lifting opening below its upper end, and plane lifting means including a hook adapted to be engaged in said opening, the upper part of said member being thereby slack for attachment to or detachment from said trolley means.

2'7. Apparatus of the class described comprising an elevated runway cable, a launching trolley running on said cable, means for suspending an airplane from said trolley for its take-oil run, a slider on the cable near its far end for returning said trolley to starting position, and an elasti rope extending from said slider to one side of the cable for anchoring the slider to serve as a resilient abutment for the trolley.

28. Apparatus of the class described comprising a pair of masts, a pair of swingable booms 15 one on each mastand extending therefrom to one side of a line between the masts, an elevat ed runway cable extending between the booms, tension guys extending from said booms diagonally to one side of the line of the runway cable for keeping the latter taut between said booms,

said guys having the same elevation as the cable over the flight path of an airplane approaching or leaving the cable, trolley means running over ,the cable, means for suspending an airplane from said trolley means, means including a trip device on the trolley for holding the trolley at one fend of the cable, said device being operable from the ship to release the trolley and the suspend- ,ed airplane for movement along the cable, and airplane lifting means carried by one of said booms to lift the airplane into position to be suspended -from said trolley means.

' 29. Apparatus of the class described comprising a pair of masts spaced longitudinally on a ship, a pair of booms one on each mast and swingable outboard or the ship, an elevated runa way cable extending between the booms, tension guys extending from said booms diagonally inboard to the ship for keeping the runway cable taut, said guys outboard of the ship having the same elevation as the runway cable, trolley means running on the cable, means for suspending an airplane from the trolley means, airplane lifting means carried by one of said booms, to lift 30 the airplane into position to be suspended from said trolley means, and a support for a man to adjust the connections between the airplane and the suspension means and lifting means, said support being swingably mounted on said lastnamed boom.

30. In apparatus of the class described, an elevated runway cable, a trolley movable along said cable, means for detachably suspending an airplane to be launched from said trolley, and a trip device for attachment to the trolley and airplane assembly for holding it stationary at one end of the cable, a cable anchoring said device to the ground, and means for tripping said device from the ground, said device being supported above the ground by its attachment to said assembly prior to tripping and thereafter falling to the ground.

, JAMES H. BRODIE,

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

